Skip to main content

Crafts / Tanjore Painting

Tanjore Painting

State
Tamil Nadu
Material
Wood panel · Gold leaf · Gesso
Rarity
Popular

Gods painted in gold, raised from a gesso base

About

Glittering devotional paintings of Hindu deities made with gesso, gold leaf and glass beads in Thanjavur.

Thanjavur painting, also spelt Tanjore, is a classical South Indian painting style that comes from the town of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. Its recognisable look comes from rich, flat colours, a simple, iconic composition, raised gesso work that is overlaid with glittering gold leaf, and inlays of glass beads or, rarely, semi-precious stones.

Most paintings are devotional images of Hindu gods, goddesses and saints, as well as scenes from the Puranas. The main figure sits in the centre, often under an arch or inside a pillared hall, with smaller figures around. The paintings are panel paintings on wooden planks, which is why they are called palagai padam in Tamil, meaning wooden-plank picture.

Thanjavur paintings are made in many sizes, from large images for temples and palaces to small pictures for the home prayer room. Today they are a popular festive gift and home decoration, and the style is a Geographical Indication of Tamil Nadu.

How it’s made

A Thanjavur painting begins with a wooden plank, traditionally of jackfruit or teak. A piece of cloth is pasted onto the plank with gum arabic. The cloth is evenly coated with a paste of French chalk or powdered limestone mixed with a binder, and dried.

The artist then draws a detailed outline of the main and supporting subjects, either free-hand or from a tracing or stencil. The next stage is the raised gesso work. A paste of limestone powder and a binding medium is applied to selected areas, such as the jewellery, crowns, pillars and arches, to build up a low relief. When the gesso is dry, thin gold leaf is stuck on top, and glass beads or stones may be inlaid in selected spots, to produce the glitter.

Colours are applied last, in flat, bright shades: traditionally natural vegetable and mineral colours, and today often chemical paints. Outlines are in dark brown or red, red is often used for the background, and Lord Vishnu is traditionally coloured blue, Nataraja chalk white and the goddess Sivakami green. Faces are rounded with almond-shaped eyes, and the faces are given light shading to give a feeling of depth.

Key features

  • Panel paintings on wooden planks (palagai padam)
  • Raised gesso work overlaid with gold leaf
  • Inlays of glass beads and sometimes stones
  • Rich, flat colours with a red or blue background
  • A central deity under an arch or in a pillared hall
  • Rounded faces with almond-shaped eyes
  • Recognised as a Geographical Indication of Tamil Nadu

History

The art draws on traditions of painting in temples in the Thanjavur region from about the seventeenth century, when the Nayakas of Thanjavur, who ruled under the Vijayanagara empire, encouraged arts, literature and temple painting. After the fall of the Vijayanagara empire at the battle of Talikota in 1565, painters who had depended on its patronage moved to other courts, and some came to Thanjavur. The style as it is known today is thought to have taken shape in the Maratha court of Thanjavur (1676 to 1855).

Under the Marathas, artists absorbed local tastes and influences from Deccani, Vijayanagara, Maratha and even European or Company styles of painting. Large paintings of deities and rulers were made to serve as architectural accents in palaces, and smaller ones for homes. Under Serfoji II, a style of Thanjavur glass painting was also popularised, done on the back of a sheet of glass.

By the early twentieth century mass-produced lithographic prints began to replace regional painting styles, and the tradition declined. It has since been revived as a craft for devotion and decoration, and is recognised as a Geographical Indication by the Government of India in 2007 to 2008. Collections of Thanjavur paintings are held in museums in India and abroad, including the V&A.

Facts

  • Palagai padam Picture on a plank. Thanjavur paintings are panel paintings done on wooden planks, called palagai padam in Tamil.
  • Gesso & gold Raised relief with gold. A paste of limestone powder and a binder is built up into low relief, and gold leaf is stuck on top.
  • Maratha court The style as we know it. Thanjavur painting in its present form is thought to have originated in the Maratha court of Thanjavur, which lasted from 1676 to 1855.
  • Colour codes Fixed colours for gods. Traditionally Lord Vishnu is painted blue, Nataraja chalk white and the goddess Sivakami green.

Market

Devotional gifts and home decor

Thanjavur paintings are sold as framed paintings, small pictures for the prayer room, and festive gifts, in sizes from palm-size to wall-size, in Tamil Nadu's shops and through craft emporia and online. Prices vary widely with the amount and quality of gold. Cheaper pieces use gold-coloured foil and synthetic paints; those with real gold leaf and hand-built gesso cost far more.

Sustainability

Slow, durable devotional art

A well-made Thanjavur painting is meant to last for generations, and uses wood, cloth, limestone and gold leaf. Choosing a painting with gesso and real gold leaf by a workshop that uses plant and mineral colours is a long-term investment in a heritage craft.

Products

  • Deity paintings: Framed images of gods and goddesses in gesso and gold leaf
  • Portraits and historical scenes: Pictures of rulers and courtly subjects in the Thanjavur style
  • Small prayer-room pictures: Smaller pieces for homes and festival gifts
  • Glass paintings: Paintings done on the back of glass, a related Thanjavur tradition

Words to know

  • Palagai padam: A picture painted on a wooden plank.
  • Gesso: A paste of limestone powder and a binder used to make the raised relief.
  • Gold leaf: Very thin sheets of gold stuck on the gesso.
  • Mantapa: A pillared hall, often shown as the setting for the deity.
  • Nayaka: The rulers of Thanjavur before the Marathas who encouraged painting.

Try it yourself

Resources

Articles

Other links